Must-Have Table Manners

Excuse Me!
It's never too early or late to learn the appropriate social behavior, especially at the dinner table. A good show of manners at the kitchen table includes the socially accepted use of utensils, restriction of elbows from the table while eating, and chewing with mouths closed. Although Western cultures consider burping rude, some cultures consider it a compliment to the cook. In some cultures, it is rude to leave the kitchen table hungry, in others it is unacceptable to overindulge. There are cultures that pray before meals, practice cleansing rituals, and those that seat guests and the elderly furthest from the door out of respect.

Jofran Chadwick Counter Height Table with Corner Bench and 2 Side Chairs

Table Manners 101

The napkin is placed on the lap as soon as you are seated at the table, and remains on your lap until you leave the table, at which time it should be folded and placed at the left of the plate. If you are returning to the table, place the napkin on the chair, then position it back on your lap once you are reseated.
Glasses and cups filled with liquids are set to the upper right of the dinner plate, and the bread plate is to the upper left. Bread is broken, and butter is spread on each piece, as it is eaten.
Food is passed and served from left to right, and no one begins eating until everyone at the table has been served.
Always use your napkin before drinking from a glass. Stemmed glasses are held from the stem.
Forks are placed to the left of the dinner plate, in the order that they are used; spoons and knives on the right, with the knife's blade facing the plate. Between bites, silverware is placed on the edge of the plate. When the meal is complete, the plates remain in their original positions; the knife and fork are placed diagonally on the plate, running from upper left to lower right, with the knife blade turned inward.